Map holder



Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,682

H. w. PRETTYMAN MAP HOLDER Filed Sept. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 18, 1928. 1,684,682

H. W. PRETTYMAN MAP HOLDER Filed Sept. 12, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Snoewtoz iin-aarv.

Patented Sept. 18, 192 8.

mien w. PRETTYMAN, or INWOQD, WEST VIRGINIA.

MAP HOLDER.

Application filed. September 12, 1925. Serial No. 56,061.

This invention relates toan improved map holder and seeks, among other b ects, to provide a simple and cflicient device of this character particularly adapted for use by automobile tourists and fY/lllCll may be readily mounted within a veliicle for conven1ent-' 1 dis la 'in a road map. Thd iriveiition seels, as a further-ob ect, to provide a device which Wlll house and protect the map from the wind, dust and weather.

Still another object is to provlde a device wherein the map will be carried upon a pair of spools, .wherein the map may be readily turned from either spool to the other for disposing the desired portion of the map to View, wherein means Wlll be provided for frictionally braking the spools so that the portion of the map in view wlllbe held taut, and wherein the spools may be removed or replaced.

A further object of the invention 1s to provide a map holder embodying a novel casing constructed to form a storage compartment for a number of maps or map spools.

And the invention seeks, as a still further object, to provide a map holder which may be easily and economically manufactured.

Other objects of the invent on not specifically mentioned will appear 1n the course of the following description,

In the accompanying drawings: I

Figure l is a perspective view showing my improved mapholder applied to the windshield of a motor vehicle.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the holder.

Figure 3 is a perspective view part1cularly showing the casing.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view. through the holder.

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional V ew on the line 55 of Figure 4, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 4, looking in the dlrection indicated by the arrows, and particularly showing how the front pane is held In position.

In carrying the invention Into effect, I employ an oblong casing, the body of wh1ch is preferably formed from a single plece'of suitable resilient sheet metal bent to provide a flat bed plate 10 at the edges of which are laterally disposed substantially cylindrical spool containers 11. As shown in Figure 4, the axes of these containers lie 111 a plane at the rear of the.bed plate 10 while the free margins of said containers lie in a plane forwardly of said plate and are offset to provide flanges 12. Extend ing between the bottom portions of the containers 11 in parallel relation to the bed plate 10 is a back plate 13 soldered or otherwise secured to the walls of said containers. Thus, the back plate serves to rigidly con nect the containers with each other for bracing and supporting said containers against relative movement While, as brought out in Figure 4, a storage compartment 14 is defined between the back plate and the bed plate 10 to receive a supply of maps or map to the back plate 13,

spools. Suitably fixed at appropriately spaced points, arepreferably rubber suction cups 15 for attaching the device to a pane of glass or the like. However, the back plate is further provided with suitably spaced openings 16 to receive fastening devices for mounting the device, should it be found impracticable to employ the 'suction cups 15. Formedon the containers 11 at the ends thereof are beads or shoulders 17 which may be produced by rolling the walls of said containers.

Yieldably gripped between the free longitudinal margins of the containers 11 is a front pane 18 which may be of glass or other suitable transparent material, and removably engaged over the ends of the casing are end caps 19 shaped to fit the casing. As shown in Figure 5, these caps are provided with lateral transversely curved flanges 20 to embrace-the beads 17 of the containers 11, yieldably cooperating with said beads to secure the end caps upon the casing, and formed on the flanges of the end caps to overlie the end margins of the front pane 18, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, are resilient lips 21 yieldably clamping the front pane against the flanges 12 of the containers. The end caps, like the casing, are also preferably formed of suitable resilient sheet metal and, as will be perceived, by flexing the walls of the containers, the containers may be contracted slightly to free the end caps, when said caps may be readily removed.

J ournaled through the end caps 19, at the ends of the containers-11, are pairs of spindles 22 which preferably are permanently secured to said end caps and are provided at their outer ends with knobs 23.

Removably en aged at their ends b said pairs of spindles are spools 24 pro erably provided at their ends with circular end plates 25, and fixed to the end caps to coact at their free ends with said end lates are springs 26 frictionall holding t e spools against rotation. As s own in Figure 5, the

spools are slotted to receive the ends of a map or other web 25 extending between the spools across the bed plate 10. However, any other suitable means may be provided for connecting the ends of the map with the spools and, as shown in Figure 4, the portion of the map overlying the bed plate will, since the spools are frictionally held against rotation by the springs 26, be maintained taut to lie flat against the bed plate beneath the front pane 18 in parallel relation thereto. Such portion of the map will thus be readily visible through the front pane and, as will be at once understood, by manipulating the knobs 23, the map may be turned from-either spool to the other for disposing any desired portion of the map toview.

As previously intimated, the device is particularly designed, for use by automobile tourists and in Figure 1 of the drawings, I have illustrated the device attached to the windshield pane'27 of a conventional motor vehicle 28. The suction cups 15 are, of course, employed for securing the device to the windshield pane, and, as will be appreciated, the device is thus conveniently mounted so that the driver of the vehicle may readily view a road map contained by the device while the knobs 23 of the device may be easil reached for shifting the map to expose-a esired portion thereof to v ew. Having thus described the invention, what I claim is: I

1. In a display device, a casing having spaced tubular spool containers connected by an intervening flat bed plate, aback plate extending between said containers in spaced parallel relation to the bed plate to define an intervening spool storage compartment open at its ends, and freely removable end caps frictionally fitting over the ends of said containers to extend across the ends of said compartment.

sa id shoulders for connectin 2. In a display device, a single length of material bent to form spaced tubular spool containers connected by an intervening bed plate, a front pane extending between the ends of .said length of material and supported thereby in spaced relation to said ed plate, and end caps fitting over the ends of said containers and securing the front pane in position.

3. In a display device, a casing having spaced spool containers connected b an intervening bed plate, a back plate extending between said containers in spaced-relation to the bed plate to define an intervening spool storage compartment open at its ends, a front pane overlying the bed plate, and end caps engaged with the ends of said containers to extend across the ends of the oompartment and provided with portions overlying the outer face of said pane for securin the pane in position.

4. n a display device, a casing having spaced spool containers, a separate freely and provided with portions overlying the margins of said front pane for securing said pane in p'osition.

6. In 'a display device, a casing having spaced spool containers, a freely removable front pane, and freely removable end caps engaged with the ends of said containers and provided with means securing the front pane in position.

7. In a display device, a casing havin spool containers providednear the en t ereof with shoulders, a front pane, and end caps having flanges engaged over the ends of said containers to cooperate with the end caps with said containers, the en caps securing the front pane in position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

nuen w. PRETTYMAN. 1. 5.1

said containers and pro- 7 

